THE 55 MPH Thread (merged)

BaBaBlackSheep · Coal Joined: May 27, 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Wisconsin

A big thumbs up to everything Roy had to say.
Your right to drive fast and/or drive a guzzler if you want to.
Just don't lay on the horn or give me the finger when you blow by me. You might either be just ahead of me when we get to a stop light...or you are pulled into a gas station filling up as I putt by...or you will already be home spending quality (or maybe not) time on your favorite endeavors. pottytrain5

SolarDave · Heavy Crude Joined: May 19, 2005 Posts: 380

VMarcHart · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: Re: THE 55 MPG Thread (merged)

I have mixed feelings about speed limit.
Whereas I enjoy my occasional speed fixes, here in Chicago, there are few places and times you can drive above 55 anyway. But say someone invent a human-powered vehicle that travels at 80 mph, why would be limit that one?

As for saving lifes, what kills is driver negligence, whether behind the wheel or not caring for the vehicle properly. Many deaths occur at slow speeds.
Other fuel savings methods are not tail-gating, not switching lanes, driving with the flow, removing junkers from the road, etc.

nocar · Intermediate Crude Joined: Nov 05, 2004 Posts: 675

VMarcHart, despite the perception of many drivers, the vast body of traffic research show the connection between speed and accidents. The higher the speed, the more likely an accident is to occur, and the more serious the consequences.

Obviously it is not the speed itself that kills, but speed in combination with something else. All experince show that if drivers are free to chose their own speed, more people die than if there are speed limits that some drivers find ridiculously low.

nocar

VMarcHart · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:35 am Post subject: Re: THE 55 MPG Thread (merged)

Hi, nocar.
A driver choosing a higher speed when it shoudn't, is driver's negligence.

For instance, many stretches of road are already set at 55 mph. When it rains, many drivers continue to drive at 55, and then cause accidents and fatalities. Again, driving at 55, but negligently.
Please don't take me wrong. If limiting all vehicles to 55 is part of the solution, I vote for it any day.

mommy22 · Heavy Crude Joined: Jul 22, 2005 Posts: 268

While we were driving our daughter to camp today, we noticed that all trucks were driving ion the 55 lane.
It dawned on me that perhaps if someone gave a patriotic name to that lane, such as "The Patriot Lane" or "Freedom Lane" that people would favorably comply with the new (old) speed limit. Or just call the slow lane one of these names.
I imagine that patriotic 'mericans would jump at the chance to do something to support the cause, just like they changed the name of french fries a few years ago!

Ferretlover · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: THE 55 MPH Thread (merged)

National speed limit pushed as gas saver
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices. …
Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year. …
Energy Department spokeswoman Angela Hill said the department will review Warner's letter but added, "If Congress is serious about addressing gasoline prices, they must take action on expanding domestic oil and natural gas production." …
Link
_________________
"RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto

phaster · Heavy Crude Joined: Jul 15, 2007 Posts: 175

wow have not been back in this section of the board in a long time, anyway just thought I'd point out that I don't think many americans at least in my neck of the woods (which happens to be car crazed souther california), that the car life style is not an entitlement and its surprising how lazy and unimaginative many drivers are here in my neck of the woods.

For example, back in the '80's when I first went to switzerland, I remember being surprised at drivers over there actually shutting off their car engines at a stop light, but after thinking about it for a while that did make economic sense (consdering the price of petrol back then in switzeralnd was just about the price I'm paying now here in the states).

In general I think we in america have not even begun to scratch the surface at how to use gas more efficiently. For example at many drive in places, there are slight elevation drops going from the road toward the bank teller window, the local jack in the box, etc. and basically I'm just like many other people who live in SoCal, I'm somewhat car addicted and when there is a drive up window I'll use it. But the difference is when there is a drive up window, and I have to wait in line and there is a downward sloping ramp, I turn off my engine and coast in as far as possible.

I guess I do have an advantage in looking at using gas in a car as efficently as possible, cause I've been luck enough to see many other parts of the world (like switzerland for example), where I was exposed long ago to gas saving measures while driving. And it kinda helps that when I was at university I flew gliders on weekends for fun and to get away from school work. Basically when ya fly a glider its all a matter of managing or trading off potential and kinetic energy, the better ya are at managing energy the longer ya get to stay up.

I drive all my cars in a similar fashion, for example I have a few so called gas guzzlers, like a land cruiser and a BMW 540. But in both cases with wise energy management practices, I've been able to year after year been able to exceed the EPA gas mileage estimates for both those vehicles. It may not sound like much averaging just over 15 MPG in my land cruiser and 20 MPG in my BMW, but it does take restraint and self discipline not to always use the full potential power of the engine and accelerate full throttle from every stop light, and use full throttle then brake suddenly at every stop light or stop sign.

FYI I don't drive these cars every day, or in the case of my land cruiser use it to just go to the mall or pick up a cup of coffee at star buck, actually my land cruiser has managed to see lots of back dirt roads and off road action. For example I've used my old cruiser to traverse thousands of miles of dirt roads in baja, and even managed to cross several states like utah and arizona using dirt and back roads 90% of the way and still manage to beat EPA gas mileage estimates.
_________________
"I'm 100% sure that unsustainable conspicuous consumption of natural basic resources will eventually lead to a proverbial hell on earth for those people who get stuck with the mismanagement mess of mankind not being stewards of the environment!"

SILENTTODD · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: THE 55 MPH Thread (merged)

Do your own experiments. But don't lie to yourself! I own a 1987 Nissan pickup. I have NEVER got the same mileage running at 70mph than I did at 55 mph (I have done this experiment over a 240 mile trips). 19 mpg vs. 27 1/2 mpg, need I say more?

I find it hard to believe any claim that you use the same amount energy pushing aside a greater amount of air for a given time. As the Robot on "Lost in Space" use say, "It does not compute!”
_________________
Skeptical scrutiny in both Science and Religion is the means by which deep thoughts are winnowed from deep nonsense-Carl Sagan

yesplease · Fission Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 2282

Small enough vehicles w/ large enough engines can occasionally see worse mileage at lower loads/speeds, but even for those the mileage tends to flat line or increase at a much lower rate compared to the drop in speed most of the time. Depends on the vehicle, so YMMV.
_________________